October News from Tri4Him

I was out for a 40 mile bike ride April 19, 2009 with fellow T4H member Tom Miller. It was a beautiful, cool morning, on our way back home through Grapevine [Texas] as I pulled ahead of Tom slightly on a long down hill on Dove Rd. As I approached the marina entrance, I saw a truck pull into the turn lane in front of me. I stopped pedaling and looked right at the driver. He paused, and I started pedaling again. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the truck moving and then suddenly, he was coming right at me. Even though I saw the drivers face clearly, he never saw me because the sun was right behind us.

Ross's bike broken in half

In my mind I remember two frames: first seeing the front of the truck right before the collision, and then being up in the air, fully conscious, flipping and spinning, thinking "when am I going to land and what will I hit." Then splat, flat on my back in the road.

After two days in the hospital the tally was: compression fracture of the T-11 vertebrae, compound fracture of the left Ulna (forearm), and two broken ribs. Total recovery was highly probable. Short-term progress- pain and suffering. This was not my plan!!

This has been a year when most of the world has been devastated by the deepest recession of our lifetime. I believe that many can relate to the disruptive and uneasy feeling of "This is not my plan."

But even if it is not your plan, God has a plan for you. So whether you have been sidelined by an injury or the recession, there are some lessons I have learned from God through my journey this year.

Live every week like it is your last one. Leave a legacy. The one thing that I can say after living intentionally for God and seeking His plans for the last 10 years is this: If April 19th had been my day to go home, I was ready.
God is at work all around us. When your plan gets interrupted, He still has one for you. Look for His before you try to fix yours. Maybe He is trying to get your attention.
He is Jehovah Jirah, "God the Provider." He knows exactly what we need all the time. This accident could have been a real disaster for my family. I am always thankful for my bride and queen, Shannon, who nursed me back to health.

My T4H team became an awesome encouragement for me and my family. Most of them were at the hospital to see the x-rays before I did. They took care of Shannon and my family.

I was protected from serious, life altering injuries. A little faster, a slightly different angle and the outcome would have been very different. Praise the Lord! Jehovah Jirah.

So when circumstances derail your life's plans, look for God, trust in all His ways.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6